by Staff Reporter | Oct 29, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Maricopa County says its current election plan is adequate to ensure everyone will have an opportunity to vote in this election, despite additional reports of long voting lines and wait times.
The county board of supervisors and recorder’s office issued their assurance through the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) last Friday in response to a Thursday letter from GOP congressional candidate Abraham Hamadeh and the Republican National Committee (RNC) requesting a new election plan.
Deputy County Attorney Joseph E. La Rue issued the response letter on behalf of MCAO. LaRue began his letter with a remark aimed at the author of the Hamadeh-RNC letter, Harmeet Dhillon, for submitting the letter to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and Maricopa County Recorder’s Office rather than MCAO.
“We do not know how they do things in California, where you are barred,” said La Rue. “But here in Arizona, it is an ethical violation for an attorney to communicate about the subject of her representation of her client with someone that the attorney knows is represented.”
As the Arizona Daily Independent reported, the Hamadeh-RNC letter claimed that it took voters longer on average to complete their ballots than the county predicted: an average of 15 minutes compared with the county’s 12-minute estimate, due to the ballot consisting of two pages.
La Rue responded that this comparison was “inaccurate” because it was based “on outdated information.” La Rue further dismissed Dhillon’s reliance on Verity Vote data, characterizing it as a “discredited organization that has been shown to play fast and loose with the facts” based on VoteBeat reporting.
La Rue clarified that the board of supervisors had expanded the in-person voting plan during its September 9 meeting to accommodate the two-page ballot.
La Rue also defended the county’s decision on the number of voting locations, check-in stations, and voting booths. He reported that the county had expanded the numbers of these election components adequately from past elections: a 40 percent increase since 2020 and a 10 percent increase since 2022 in voting locations; a 35 percent increase since 2020 and 33 percent increase since 2022 in check-in stations; and a 60 percent increase since 2020 and a 23 percent increase since 2022 in voting booths.
At the close of his response letter, La Rue concluded with a decisive “no” on the request from Hamadeh and the RNC to devise a new election plan.
“In light of the county’s extensive preparations for in-person voting on November 5, 2024, our clients do not see the need for an emergency meeting with your clients,” stated La Rue.
The county’s denial of a request for expanding election location capacities, such as establishing additional voting booths, came ahead of Monday reports from the media and individual voters on long wait times and lengthy lines for in-person early voting.
Maricopa County has warned that it could take them anywhere from 10 to 13 days to count all the ballots, due to the nearly 2.1 million mail-in ballots requested in this election. The county came up with the timeline based on the percentage of voters who waited to turn in their early ballots closer to or on Election Day in the 2022 election — almost 20 percent.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 29, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In partnership with the Republican National Committee (RNC), Republican Congressional candidate for Arizona’s 8th District Abe Hamadeh has issued a letter to Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. In the letter, Hamadeh and the RNC called for an emergency meeting with the county election officials to review what they described as a “flawed Election Plan.”
In a post to X sharing the letter, Hamadeh wrote that the plan, “fails to account the time voters need to complete the FOUR-PAGE ballot, setting the stage for long lines & chaos on Election Day. I won’t tolerate an election system that disenfranchises the will of the people.”
In the three-page letter from Hamadeh and RNC attorney Harmeet Dhillon, they wrote, “We have received information indicating that voters will take significantly longer to complete their ballots than the estimates upon which the Maricopa County Election Plan is based, specifically the provisions related to Election Day voting. Our observations in the field confirm this concern.”
The letter explains, “The county’s current plan, which already expects long lines on Election Day, is based on the unlikely expectation that voters will only take up to a maximum of approximately 12 minutes to complete their ballots. Our information is that voters will take, and are now taking substantially longer to complete their ballots—averaging at least 15 minutes with a maximum that his much higher.”
Dhillon and Hamadeh further pointed out that there has been a significant decrease in the number of voting centers near Paradise Valley Community College, noting that the area has one of the highest turnout rates in the county.
They added, “This will mean dramatically longer lines than expected on election night. As you know, many voters will not be able to endure an hours-long wait to vote, effectively disenfranchising them if the lines grow too long.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, there has been a serious decrease in the amount of polling centers made available to the county election officials due to limitations in security features and concerns over potential violence and damage in the 2024 election. In the area served by one Phoenix area school district, the number of polling stations has dropped from 17 to one, housed in a secured District office replete with barbed-wire fencing, security gates, and badge-only access, “one step below Fort Knox.”
According to a study from the America First Policy Institute, an analysis of precinct-level data in six Arizona counties from the 2022 election in Arizona revealed “some precincts where there were more ballots being counted than there were registered voters listed as casting ballots and some precincts where the reverse occurred,” as printing errors and long-lines plagued polling centers throughout the state. The total number of discrepancies was well over 8,000 ballots. And as the AFPI notes, the race for Attorney General, in which Hamadeh was defeated, was decided by a razor-thin margin of 280 votes.
The 2022 issue and potential 2024 problems could be quite similar as Yavapai County’s Registrar of Voters Office explained to the Institute’s researchers:
“If a voter checks in on Election Day but walks out with their ballot (does not put it in the ballot box), they will be listed as voted because they signed the register but there will not be a ballot to tabulate.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 25, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As the 2024 General Election entered its final weeks, the Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee, made two stops in the critical swing state of Arizona.
On Tuesday, Senator J.D. Vance, President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, visited Peoria and Tucson in an attempt to rally support for his ticket and to convince undecided voters to come over to the Republican side to return the 45th President to the White House.
While in Arizona, Vance said, “I got the easiest job in American politics. I get to go around and remind the American people that Donald Trump delivered rising take home pay and low inflation – Tim Walz has to go around and somehow convince the American people that Kamala Harris is going to solve the problems she has created.”
Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers applauded his appearance on her X account, writing, “JD Vance is SO GOOD.”
Incoming U.S. Representative for Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District, Abraham Hamadeh, spoke at the Peoria event, saying, “We were placed at this moment for a reason. We really were. And I want every single one of you to understand that we’ve got 13, 14 days to save our great Republic, and it’s not just the United States of America we’re saving. We are saving civilization.”
Senator Vance’s event in Peoria was hosted by TYR Tactical, which is owned by Jason Beck, who also serves as the city’s mayor. TYR Tactical, which is one of the top private employers in Peoria, has been home to a rising number of events and rallies over the past two political cycles. In an exclusive interview with AZ Free News, Mayor Beck commented about his willingness to open his place of business for Republican efforts, saying, “I am proud of our community, and of the people in Peoria. We are privileged to offer our facility and resources to support the people and causes we believe in.”
Beck was excited about the event and the support for the Trump-Vance ticket that he could see from his vantage point. He said, “Arizona has a lot of motivated voters who want to see Trump and Vance in the White House. We had an amazing turn-out of support from citizens who are excited about a future with President Trump and Vice President Vance. Senator Vance spoke about the importance of a thriving economy, the effects that inflation has on families, businesses, and our seniors. His message was clear. We need to invest in our country. We need to keep our enemies away from our borders, and we need to compassionately serve the everyday needs of American citizens.”
When asked why he was supporting the Trump-Vance ticket, Beck added, “The Trump-Vance ticket understands what it takes to make small businesses like mine, flourish. The Trump administrations’ tax credits allowed me to utilize R&D Tax credits to invest in our business and create jobs for the American worker. When our business grows, we are able to increase the amount of premium equipment we can provide to our law enforcement and military to ensure they are brought home safely. With business growth, we are able to provide more jobs for the people in our community.”
The first-term mayor also reflected on how his city is poised to work with a potential Trump-Vance administration, stating, “As the Mayor of Peoria, and as a job creator, I want to be a voice for everyone, not just the people who vote for me. I employ people of many different ethnic and faith backgrounds. Democrats often say they care about diverse and underserved communities, but it is the policies from the first Trump term that helped create opportunities and jobs for them. Trump-Vance give us the best opportunity to protect our country and bring the next phase of positive economic growth to lead America into its next phase of greatness and prosperity.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 16, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican Congressional candidate for Arizona’s 8th District Abe Hamadeh received a key endorsement on Friday from the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC).
Hamadeh, a former candidate for Arizona Attorney General, was already endorsed by President Donald Trump in July alongside his primary opponent Blake Masters in a rare ‘twofer’ endorsement.
NBPC President Paul Perez wrote in an announcement posted on X, “The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) @bpunion proudly endorses Abe Hamadeh in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Abe has dedicated his life to serving this great nation, ensuring our security and upholding the rule of law. He truly understands what is happening along our borders and what the men and women of the NBPC experience each and every day. We know Abe and we know that he will be a tireless advocate for border security, public safety and restoring law and order. Join us in supporting Abe Hamadeh for Congress and make our borders secure again.”
In a recent interview with Fox News, Hamadeh readily laid the crisis at the border—and resultant flood of illegal immigrants and subsequent crime—at the feet of Vice President Kamala Harris and the “radical” immigration policies enacted by the Biden-Harris administration. He particularly pointed to the role it has played in Maricopa County’s increasing gang violence.
“The border is the number one issue for everybody,” Hamadeh told the outlet.
“Every time I’m in my district, it’s the number one issue people talk about because they see the effects of the border crisis every single day, and we’ve had nighttime burglary, robberies happening in Arizona, in Maricopa County, particularly, these Chilean, illegal immigrants from Chile, this Chilean gang that were breaking into people’s homes.”
He explained, “So you’re starting to see it’s not just crime on the streets, in the inner cities, but now it’s going into the sort of suburbs and that’s why the border, everywhere I go, it’s the number one issue.”
The gangs Hamadeh refers to, described in the media as “tourist burglars” or “dinnertime thieves,” have run amok nearly unchecked across a sprawling stretch from Peoria to Paradise Valley, Gilbert and Chandler. He pinned the source of the ongoing wave of crime directly to Harris discussing her immigration policy. He told Fox, “Everybody knows it’s a joke. We can’t escape the commercials that are on constantly. She’s walking on our southern border with Trump’s border wall, which we all know she opposed. She’s the most radical person ever to run for president.”
“Everybody who’s law enforcement, Border Patrol, anybody who knows what’s going on is supporting President Trump because Kamala Harris is in a position of power and has done nothing about it. So we all know that this is her attempt at trying to just, you know, get votes. But we know that the radical left is adamant about keeping our border open, and it’s creating a national security risk.”
As a former military intelligence office in the U.S. Army, Hamadeh was able to draw on his experience to draw attention to the national security risk the lax border security presents in his district.
“In my district, particularly, you know, we have all these Taiwanese companies moving into my district for the microchip industry, it’s 50 to $100 billion. That’s creating a national security risk,” he told Fox. “It’s great for economic development, but we have an open border, and you’ve got 30,000 Communist Chinese who have crossed our southern border last year. Unvetted. That’s a prime intelligence target.”
He warned, “We’re putting a target right now here in Arizona for some of these foreign adversaries to take advantage of. Just last week, we discovered that Iran or somebody may have snuck through ten shoulder-fired missiles possibly. I mean, we’re talking about the United States. How are we not securing our border? It seems like the easiest concept for everybody to understand and that’s where, in my district, that’s why it is the number one issue, and Kamala Harris is failing at it, and that’s why she’s going to lose the election.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 2, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Reports have emerged that voters may have had their registration addresses moved by Arizona’s Motor Vehicles Division (MVD) without their consent, potentially jeopardizing their ability to vote.
Such unintended disenfranchisement occurred for thousands of voters in the 2022 midterm election.
The renewed concern for the eligibility of an untold number of legal voters emerged after GOP congressional candidate Abraham Hamadeh’s counsel, Jen Wright, brought up their discovery from earlier this year that the MVD moved the voter registration address for thousands of voters without their consent.
State Senator Wendy Rogers, a Republican, attested that MVD had moved the registration address for one of her family members.
Wright was referencing the Hamadeh v. Mayes case, which the Arizona Court of Appeals decided in April.
In that case, Hamadeh’s counsel explained that they discovered voters who owned other properties in addition to their primary residence and found themselves disenfranchised.
“[A]fter interviewing hundreds of those voters, we found that many are voters who have connections to properties outside of their home county; and due to no fault of their own, but instead changes to the statewide computer system, their registration was moved from their county of residence to the county where they had some connection without the voter’s express knowledge, consent or intent in a way that lacks a requisite procedural due process requirement necessitated before depriving someone of their sacred right to vote,” stated counsel. “[I]t appears that more than 1,100 election day provisional voters were, we believe, wrongly disenfranchised. Turns out, with many of these declarations we have their voting record and history, and we can see when and how it was changed, and it was not by their own intent; and we know their intent because they did not show up to vote in the secondary county that was assigned to them.”
The MVD process that impacted those 1,100 voters went into place in April 2020. The court of appeals said that those Arizonans’ votes still couldn’t count since their registrations reflected an address outside the precinct they attempted to vote in, regardless of the change being made by MVD without the knowledge or consent of the voters.
“[E]ven if voters cast provisional ballots in the wrong precinct because of the alleged faulty but unchallenged election procedure, the voters still were not registered to vote in the precincts where they cast those provisional ballots,” stated the court. “Arizona law simply does not authorize opening the envelopes and counting those ballots.”
This hasn’t been the only case recently in which MVD interactions jeopardized Arizonans’ right to vote.
Last month, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that nearly 100,000 longtime Arizona voters caught up in an MVD coding error were allowed to vote, despite a challenge from Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, who put the blame on voters and asked that they be limited to voting a federal ballot only.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that those voters were eligible to vote. Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer ruled that the fault was with the state, not the voters, for their registration changing.
“[A] state administrative failure permitted the Affected Voters to be registered without confirming that they provided DPOC when they received their driver’s licenses and where there is so little time remaining before the beginning of the 2024 General Election,” said Timmer.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
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